Movie Mayhem

Features:

Movie Reviews:

  • 10 to Midnight (1983)
    Bronson plays an ageing detective, taking on a younger by-the-book protégé. Together they must track down a mysterious serial killer who is targeting young ladies.
  • Airborne (1998)
    Steve Guttenberg tried and failed to reinvent himself as an action hero in the 90s with movies like Airborne.
  • Alien 2: On Earth (1980)
    The naming of Alien 2: On Earth (or Sulla Terra in Italian) is obvious from a marketing point of view. A brazen attempt to pull in viewers to see this excessively cheap, subterranean rubbish.
  • Bat*21 (1988)
    The second of, what I describe as, Gene Hackman’s Missing in Action trilogy following Uncommon Valour.
  • Beast (2022)
    There is no hiding my excitement for this creature feature. Having endured the disappointing Endangered Species on Netflix recently my thirst for an old fashioned, Human vs. Beast was wet, but not quenched.
  • Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe
    It was nice to spend some time with these two again and on a new adventure. This is almost a forgotten slice of culture and taking stock over the years I realise I was a bigger fan of Beavis and Butthead than I thought.
  • Blue Steel (1990)
    Blue Steel seems to have disappeared from view and recognition walking a tight line between cop thriller and psychological drama
  • Body Puzzle (1992)
    Body Puzzle rarely entertains and even has trouble maintaining interest along the way despite some fine performances and some brief moments of violence.
  • Brigade of Death (1985)
    An obscure and notorious nasty Brigade des moeurs or Bridge of Death is a little French thriller from 1985 with some bold moments.
  • Cannonball Run II (1984)
    A low point in everyone’s career. That is A LOT of careers.
  • Cop (1988)
    Cop isn’t action focused, it is entirely a character study of a desperate, corrupt man painted around the background of catching a killer and the wake of upset he leaves in the pursuit.
  • Dashcam (2022)
    Dashcam is worth the fuss and whilst not a landmark film it certainly is expertly crafted and plays immensely well.
  • Dead Bang (1989)
    Dead Bang took me by surprise and I really enjoyed discovering it. It’s a bit dated, however, it works nicely as a quality 80’s action romp.
  • Deadly Impact (1984)
    “Deadly Impact,” an action film mirroring “48 Hours,” features Bo Svenson as a tough cop dishing out justice alongside Fred Williamson. Directed by Fabrizio De Angelis, the movie boasts impressive stunts and action sequences, though hindered by everything else it’s a heart-filled tribute to action movies of its era.
  • Deep Space (1988)
    The unavailability of Deep Space during the 90’s left me conjuring imagery in my head of what the film might be like… and I was way off.
  • Dig (2022)
    Tom and Harlow Jane unite on screen. Is Dig (2022) worth digging into?
  • Dominion (1995)
    Dominion felt like a cheap knock off of Shoot to Kill (or Deadly Pursuit) with Brad Johnston fitting in as he really does cut a Tom Berenger-lite look. But is this a load of old nonsense?
  • Exit Speed (2008)
    Exit Speed has enough action to get you through it, there just isn’t anything to write home about.
  • Fall (2022)
    The more you think about the scenario used in Fall (2022) you realise how perfectly unique it is to generate raw terror.
  • Fast Money (1996)
    Fast Money has an interesting cast with Yancy Butler, Matt McCoy, John Ashton and the late Trevor Goddard keep this from being just another direct-to-video crapfest.
  • Fever (1991)
    Back in 1991 Sam Neill and Armand Assante made Fever, an HBO TV Movie promising to be packed with action, sex and thrills. Spoiler, it wasn’t.
  • Freebie and the Bean (1974)
    Freebie and The Bean followed a simple but robust plot-line that allows for the cops to have the time for some interesting misadventures whilst the story carries on in the background.
  • Gung Ho (1986)
    Gung Ho is a lightweight comedy without much in the way of memorable moments. Aside from a fun , if problematic, performance from Michael Keaton.
  • Hell of the Living Dead (1980)
    The film does have its fair share of moments and these are why it is so fondly remembered, and worth sitting through to find.
  • Hijack (1998)
    I have a high tolerance for crap but a soft spot for this. It’s messy, ugly and hardly thrilling. However, it’s fun, interesting and full of enjoyable performances.
  • Hitcher in the Dark (1989)
    Hitcher in the Dark doesn’t really have too much going for it, however, it manages to stay entertaining with some bolder storytelling moments
  • Infinite Storm (2022)
    Infinite Storm (2022) by Małgorzata Szumowska with Naomi Watts and there is something about Watts in the Winter as it struggles to engage.
  • Island of the Fishmen (1979)
    I had a fun time with Island of the Fishmen, or Island of Mutations, or L’isola degli uomini pesce, or the original cut of Something Waits in the Dark or Screamers, whatever you want to call it…
  • Last Man Standing (1996)
    This is one of only a couple of Bruce Willis movies that eluded me from the 90’s and I have only now managed to take the time to watch it… and I should have left it as it was. This, is Last Man Standing.
  • Last Seen Alive (2022)
    There is little to separate Last Seen Alive from The Vanishing or the Kurt Russell thriller Breakdown as from them being much better.
  • Lethal Tender (1996)
    Lethal Tender is a film that I am embarrassed to say I have seen several times. The first time, I dug it. Second I was a bit bored. Third was trash. Fourth…
  • Malibu Express (1985)
    I expected Malibu Express to have glistening golden skin warmly drenched in sunlight, much like you might have in an episode of Baywatch. It does not.
  • Night Game (1989)
    Roy Scheider had an incredible run of terrific movies, however, every run has to come to an end and Night Game (1989) is anything but a home run.
  • Off Limits (1988) (aka Saigon)
    Almost 30 years later I have managed to import and take in this obscure little thriller and whilst it has scratched an old itch, the film was not worth the anticipation.
  • Phase IV (1974)
    Phase IV is an engrossing and thought provoking horror that you should not hesitate to find and enjoy.
  • Raw Justice (1994)
    Raw Justice is a simple, direct-to-video flick that is a product of its time, featuring an exceptional cast of B-Movie greats, constant action and a peppering of nudity. 
  • Romancing The Stone (1984)
    Romancing the Stone is worth revisiting as a simple piece of early 80’s fun. There is a clever and quirky script. Colourful characters doted throughout. Thank-you Diane Thomas, Rest in Peace.
  • Royce (1994)
    Royce is not as serious a movie as it could have been and this is why it works so well. Jim brings a huge amount of colour to the character, quipping at every opportunity – some of them are even funny!
  • Seven (1979)
    Seven is a bit of a treat. I really enjoyed it and not for the obvious reasons. The nudity is actually quite sparse and the action and explosions are fairly tame.
  • Shadows in an Empty Room (1976)
    An obscure genre piece sees Whitman played Captain Jack Saitta in the oft retitled Shadows in an Empty Room featuring shadows of several other thrillers that had made an impact in the years prior.
  • Short Time (1990)
    Short Time has Dabney Colman drive with complete disregard for his own personal safety, leaving a trail of carnage everywhere. Sounds incredible…
  • Silent Action (1975)
    A solid filmmaker takes his time to layer in plenty of intrigue and excitement along the way and whilst there is nothing particularly astounding in the mix, this is just a good, solid, cop thriller. 
  • Solar Crisis (1990)
    Solar Crisis has become vastly more interesting over the years. Tim Matheson, Charlton Heston, Jack Palance and Peter Boyle star in this sci-fi adventure with … umm… effects and music.
  • Speed Zone! aka Cannonball Fever aka Cannonball Run III
    Speed Zone! is given a hard time by critics, certainly a lot doesn’t work, but there is a decent amount that does.
  • Stacey (1973)
    Stacey is a fun little movie and it pains me that it is considered lost.
  • Stand Alone (1985)
    Stand Alone from 1985 is the great Charles Durning doing Rambo, Walking Tall and Death Wish. Sounds dark, violent and crazy… well…
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
    Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) shows potential, however, it’s loses it’s way pretty quickly.
  • The Big Racket (1976)
    A racketeering group is operating in a village in Italy. Intimidating local business owners and subjecting resistors to barbaric violence in The Big Racket (1976)
  • The Cannonball Run (1981)
    The Cannonball Run isn’t for everyone, in fact it isn’t for most. I have a love for it as I was just the right age to soak this up. A massive gamble, and a massive win!
  • The Contractor (2022)
    The Contractor will engage you for the runtime, you will walk away fulfilled. In years to come you will struggle to remember if you have seen it.
  • The Desperate Hour (2021)
    The Desperate Hour is a tension focused thriller centring on Naomi Watts plodding through the woods attempting to locate her son during a hostile event at nearby school.
  • The Devil’s Men (1976)
    The Devil’s Men was released in 1976 and featured a few big names, admittedly at a difficult point during their careers, this was originally released in the US The Land of the Minotaur. 
  • The Female Executioner (1986)
    The Female Executioner (L’exécutrice) wants to be a tough-as-nails, female Dirty Harry knock-off yet there is very little that it manages to get right.
  • The Getaway (1994)
    The biggest take away from The Getaway is that it is average entertainment and really isn’t shocking that it has been forgotten about over the years.
  • The Heroin Busters (1977)
    The Heroin Buster (1977) has been painstakingly remastered and celebrated almost 50 years after it slipped out. Here is my review of this slice of poliziotteschi.
  • The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
    The Jewel of the Nile is a horrible, regressive, xenophobic pile of junk that needs to be forgotten.
  • The Savage Three (1975)
    I found a lot to like in The Savage Three, however, initially I walked away a little cold.
  • The Specialist (1994)
    Really this should have had a budget of around £10 million and starred a combination of the video stars of the time. The bigger glosser look doesn’t help the film or dissuade from the lack of substance.
  • The Time Guardian (1987)
    Despite a concept of a time-traveling city and Carrie Fisher’s involvement, “The Time Guardian” disappoints with a lackluster plot, underdeveloped villains, and unconvincing effects. Fisher rehashes her Leia persona, while Nikki Coghill stands out in an otherwise uninspired cast. Intended as a franchise starter, the film instead became a forgettable Aussie sci-fi endeavor.
  • The Tough Ones (1976)
    The Tough Ones is one of the best known Italian “Poliziotteschi” thrillers and for good reason. Prepare yourself for a gushy blast of love from a fan
  • Thunder Run (1985)
    1985’s Thunder Run is equal parts The Road Warrior, The A-Team and Wargames, with a smattering of Porky’s to appeal to the youth.
  • Time Runner (1993)
    Mark Hamill stars in “Time Runner,” a subpar time travel film that mixes clever concepts with a confusing plot and inconsistent pacing. Despite a strong opening, its focus on action over coherent storytelling and underutilized ideas results in a routine sci-fi chase lacking depth.
  • Trancers (1984)
    Trancers is the granddaddy of direct-to-video and a mostly successful opening to the franchise.
  • Trancers 4: Jack of Swords (1994)
    Following the vastly stronger third outing Trancers 4 Jack of Swords is merely a little more watchable than the second outing.
  • Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (1994)
    It pains me to think that such a limp approach was taken to Trancers 4 and 5 following the strength of Trancers III.
  • Trancers 6 (2002)
    It’s time to look at Trancers 6. This time a fresh face, an attempt to revive the franchise and some humour at Deth’s expense. What could go wrong?
  • Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth (1991)
    At first glance Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth looks to be an awesome sequel to a perfect low budget sci-fi hit. Is it?
  • Trancers III: Deth Lives (1992)
    For the second entry to suck it comes as a pleasant surprise that this follow-up manages to kick some Squid butt!
  • Trancers: City of Lost Angels (1988)
    This is a fun follow-up to the original and a treat for fans. Cheap, silly, funny and inventive.
  • Uncommon Valour (1983)
    There is no shortage of missing in action prisoner of war movies from the 80’s, however, featuring a terrific cast and a director of note Uncommon Valour is far from your typical ‘Nam action.
  • Violent Rome (1975)
    “Violent Rome” catapulted Maurizio Merli to stardom as Commissioner Betti, a cop-cum-vigilante. Directed by Marino Girolami, this action-packed film blends thrilling police drama with vengeance, marked by a standout car chase and brutal realism.
  • Watcher (2022)
    Watcher (2022) enters into a teeming sub-genre and Watcher might just come out on top.
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